The present invention pertains to an accessory for building construction and more particularly to a holder for anchor bolts, rebar, in-concrete plumbing, or the like.
Anchor bolts are well known elements used in the foundation of a house and other buildings. These bolts perform a very important function in that they attach the wood frame of the house to the foundation wall. If the anchor bolts themselves are not properly positioned and securely attached to the foundation, they fail to perform their function, and the house may come off the foundation, especially in an earthquake.
According to preferred building standards and perhaps by local code, these bolts should be located at a maximum number of inches on center and in the center of the wall plate or mud sill. However, since anchor bolts are conventionally immersed in the wet concrete of the foundation wall after it is poured but before it hardens, they are often not correctly positioned and may be damaged by the concrete. Thus, they may be incorrectly spaced, off center, out of vertical, and/or their threads covered with concrete. Moreover, an anchor bolt is usually J-shaped or S-shaped at its lower end so that it can be hooked around the reinforcing rebar in the concrete, but insuring such a connection is difficult after the concrete is poured.
Apart from properly positioning the anchor bolts, other important features of an anchor bolt holder include durability, cost and reusability. Devices have been proposed for holding anchor bolts in proper position, but the known devices do not have all the desirable features. For example, the anchor bolt holder in Design Pat. No. Des 312,382 incorporates a sleeve or tower for receiving the head of an anchor bolt and protecting its threads, but this sleeve is subject to breakage where it connects to the base plate so its durability and reusability are compromised. The anchor bolt holder in the Adams Pat. No. 5,240,224 does not protect the threads of the anchor bolts, is unnecessarily complex, and is thus relatively more expensive. Moreover, although Adams holder can be opened to fit around an anchor bolt, the latter is not clamped in the device but must be held there by a separate clip.
An accessory for use in building construction to hold anchor bolts, rebar, in-concrete plumbing, and the like elements, is provided. The holder is used to hold such elements in predetermined positions during pouring of concrete therearound. It is molded in one piece from a suitable plastic and comprises an elongated base plate having front and rear ends opposite side edges, a top surface, a bottom surface, and a hole extending through the front end of the plate from the top surface to the bottom surface; a sleeve integrally molded to the front end of the base plate in alignment with the hole and having a front, a rear, and opposite sides; and spaced reinforcing members integrally molded to one of the surfaces of the base plate, extending lengthwise thereof generally tangentially of the sleeve, and having inside walls providing front ends which terminate in and are integrally molded throughout their heights to opposite sides of the sleeve in peripherally spaced relation therearound. A feature of the invention is the molding of the holder out of colored plastic so that it can be more easily seen after the concrete has been poured, thereby partially covering it. An alternative embodiment provides such a holder that can be spread apart for receiving, and then closing and clamping around, anchor bolts, rebar, inconcrete pipe, and similar construction elements.
An object of this invention is to position anchor bolts in their proper positions prior to pouring concrete around them and to hold them in such positions while the concrete is being poured.
Another object is to provide an anchor bolt holder that can be removed from the hardened concrete and anchor bolt embedded therein without breaking or deformation so that the holder can be reused.
An additional object is to protect the threads of an anchor bolt while holding the same in proper position within a form while concrete is being poured around the anchor bolt.
A further object is to provide an anchor bolt holder molded in one piece so as to avoid the complexity of multiple parts.
Still another object is to provide an inexpensive anchor bolt holder.
Yet another object is to provide an anchor bolt holder that is adjustable for holding anchor bolts within forms of various sizes.
A more specific object is to reinforce the sleeve or tower of an anchor bolt holder that receives the anchor bolt so as to maintain the anchor bolt in a desired attitude while pouring concrete and so as to prevent breakage of the sleeve when the holder is removed from the poured concrete.
Another specific object is to reinforce the base plate of an anchor bolt holder where nails are driven in order to maintain the integrity of the base plate and sleeve.
Yet another object is to provide an anchor bolt holder that can be spread apart, placed around an anchor bolt, and then clamped around the bolt to hold it proper position within concrete forms.
An additional object is to obviate the need for using a nut to hold an anchor bolt in position while concrete is being poured.
A still further object is to provide a clamping-type anchor bolt holder that is inexpensive, uncomplicated, durable and reusable.
An additional object is to provide an anchor bolt holder that is easier to see after being partially covered with concrete.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reference to the following description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.